Practising the Eye Test Online: The Best Free Exercises to Prepare

Before your driving licence eye test, it is natural to want to practise, and the internet offers plenty of free options to do exactly that. From Landolt ring trainers and online eye charts to colour vision tests, you can prepare at home in a few minutes a day and arrive at the optician knowing exactly what to expect. In this article we present the best free exercises to prepare for the eye test, and we explain what online practice can and cannot do.

The most important thing to understand first is that online practice does not change your eyesight. It cannot improve your visual acuity, and it cannot replace a pair of glasses if you need one. What it can do is make you familiar with the task, reduce your nervousness, and help you find out where you stand before the official test. That alone makes it worth doing, and it takes only a few minutes of your time.

Can you practise the eye test online

Yes, you can practise the main elements of the eye test online, and there are many free tools for it. The most useful ones are the Landolt ring trainers, where circles with openings are shown in different sizes, and you have to click the direction of the opening. These trainers work very much like the real test at the optician, and they give you a good idea of how small the rings can get before you cannot read them any more.

There are also online eye charts that show letters or numbers in rows of decreasing size, and colour vision tests that show Ishihara plates on your screen. All of these are free, and you do not need to install anything. The only things you need are a computer or a phone, a quiet room, and a little patience. Keep in mind that the screen size and the lighting of your room influence the result, so treat the result as a rough guide, not as a medical diagnosis.

Landolt ring trainers: the best exercise

The Landolt ring trainer is the most realistic exercise for the German driving licence eye test, because the official test uses exactly these rings. The trainer shows a ring with a gap in one of eight directions, and you have to say or click where the gap points. The rings get smaller in steps, just like at the optician, and the smallest row you can still read gives you an idea of your visual acuity. If you do this exercise for a few minutes a day in the week before your test, the real test will feel familiar and easy.

When you use a trainer, sit at a normal distance from your screen, about 50 to 70 centimetres for a computer monitor, or hold your phone at a normal reading distance. Cover one eye at a time, just like the real test, and do not squint or move closer to the screen. The goal is not to beat the trainer, but to become familiar with the rings and to see whether one eye is clearly weaker than the other.

Online visual acuity charts

Online visual acuity charts are the digital version of the classic eye chart on the wall. They show letters or numbers in rows of decreasing size, and you read them from a fixed distance. The best versions let you enter your screen size, so that the letters are shown at the right scale, and they estimate your visual acuity from the smallest row you can read. This is a useful way to get a rough idea of your vision before the official test.

Keep in mind that an online chart is not as exact as the test at the optician, because the result depends on your screen, your lighting and the distance you sit from the screen. Use the chart as a practice tool and as a way to spot a big problem, for example if you cannot read the larger rows even with glasses. Our guide section has more advice on how to prepare for the test, including what to bring and what to expect at the optician.

Colour vision tests online

If you are curious about your colour vision, you can try one of the many free Ishihara tests online. The test shows you coloured dot plates with numbers hidden inside them, and you have to type the number you can see. The result is instant, and it can tell you whether you have a red-green colour vision deficiency. That is useful to know, but remember that colour vision is not part of the standard Class B driving licence test, so a poor result does not affect your application.

The online colour vision test is a useful check for people who plan to apply for a lorry or bus licence, where colour vision is part of the medical report. If the online test suggests a deficiency, have it checked properly by an ophthalmologist before you invest in an expensive training course. The online version is a screening tool, and it is not a replacement for a medical diagnosis.

What online tests cannot do

Online tests have clear limits, and it is important to know them. They cannot measure your vision exactly, they cannot prescribe glasses, and they cannot issue the certificate you need for your driving licence. A good result online does not guarantee that you will pass the official test, and a bad result online does not mean that you will fail. The screen, the lighting, the distance and even the time of day can all change the result.

The official test at the optician is standardised under DIN 58220, and it is carried out with calibrated equipment at a fixed distance, which is why its result is accepted by the driving licence authority. An online test is a practice tool and nothing more. Use it to become familiar with the task and to find out whether you should have your eyes checked, but do not use it to decide whether you need glasses.

Building a short practice routine

A good practice routine takes only about five minutes a day. Start with the Landolt trainer, and read the rings with one eye at a time, then with both eyes together. Then try the online eye chart, and note the smallest row you can read. If you want, finish with the colour vision test, which takes only a minute. Do this for a week before your test, and always at the same time of day, so that the results are comparable.

Write down your results, so that you can see whether they are stable or whether they change from day to day. If the results are stable and good, you can go to the optician with confidence. If they are poor or jump around, book an eye check before the official test, so that you can find out whether you need new glasses. For answers to other common questions, see our frequently asked questions page.

When practice is not enough

Sometimes practice is not enough, and that is a sign that you need professional help, not more practice. If you cannot see the larger rows of the online chart even with glasses, if one eye is clearly much weaker than the other, or if you notice new problems such as double vision or sudden blurriness, book an appointment at an optician or an ophthalmologist. These are signs that your prescription may be out of date, or that your eyes need a medical check.

Do not try to train your eyes to pass the test, because that does not work. Visual acuity is a property of your eyes and your correction, not a skill that can be trained in a few days. The smart approach is to find out early whether you need new glasses, to order them in good time, and to use the online practice to prepare for the format of the test, not to change your vision.

How to use a practice test to check your visual acuity

An online practice test can give you a rough idea of your visual acuity, but you have to use it in the right way. Before you start, check the distance that the test asks for, because most tests are made for a fixed distance, usually three metres, and a wrong distance makes the result useless. Sit up straight, look at the screen with both eyes open, and do the test once for each eye and once for both eyes together, just like in the real test. Make sure the room is bright but the screen has no reflection, and use the glasses or contact lenses that you would use for the official test, so that the result is comparable.

Remember that the practice test is only an indication, and it cannot replace the official test at the optician. The screen, the lighting, and the size of the letters are not calibrated in the same way as the chart at the optician, so the result may be better or worse than your real visual acuity. Use the practice test to find out whether you are close to the limit of 0.7, and to get used to the task of reading small symbols at a distance. If the practice test shows that you are far below 0.7, visit an optician for a proper eye test and a new prescription before you book the official test.

Your checklist for practising the eye test online

Practising the eye test online is a free and easy way to prepare, but it only helps if you practise the right things. This checklist covers the best exercises, the equipment you need, and how to use the result, so that your practice actually makes the real test easier.

• Use a Landolt ring trainer first, because the official German test uses Landolt rings with openings in eight directions.
• Sit at the same distance from the screen as the trainer asks for, and do not move closer during the exercise.
• Do the practice in a bright room, and avoid glare on the screen, because it can make the rings harder to read.
• Wear the glasses or contact lenses that you plan to use for the real test, so that the practice matches the test.
• Practise each eye on its own first, and then both eyes together, just like the real test.
• Take a short break if your eyes feel tired, because practising with tired eyes gives a result that is worse than it should be.
• Use an online eye chart as well as the Landolt trainer, so that you check your visual acuity in more than one way.
• Do not rely on a colour vision test online alone, because the colours on a screen are not always accurate.
• Repeat the practice over several days, a few minutes at a time, instead of doing a long session on one day.
• If the online test shows a result below 0.7, book a check at the optician before you book the official test.

Conclusion

Practising the eye test online is a free, easy and useful way to prepare. A Landolt ring trainer makes you familiar with the official test format, an online eye chart gives you a rough idea of your visual acuity, and a colour vision test can show you whether a deficiency might matter for a lorry or bus licence. All of these take only a few minutes a day. What they cannot do is improve your vision, prescribe glasses or replace the official test at the optician. Use them to prepare and to find out where you stand, and then go to the optician with confidence and with the right glasses.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practise the eye test online for free?

Yes. There are free Landolt ring trainers, online eye charts and colour vision tests, and you do not need to install anything to use them.

Do online eye tests replace the official test?

No. The official test at the optician is carried out with calibrated equipment under DIN 58220, and only the official certificate is accepted by the driving licence authority.

How accurate are online eye tests?

They give you a rough idea of your vision, but the result depends on your screen, your lighting and the distance. Treat the result as a guide, not a diagnosis.

What is the best online exercise for the driving licence eye test?

The Landolt ring trainer, because the official German test uses exactly these rings, with openings in eight directions.

Can online practice improve my eyesight?

No. Practice makes you familiar with the task, but it does not change your visual acuity. If you need glasses, only a correct prescription will help.

When should I see an optician instead of practising online?

If you cannot read the larger rows of the online chart even with glasses, if one eye is much weaker than the other, or if you notice new vision problems such as double vision.

Is an online eye test free?

Most online practice tests are free, including the simulator on this site, because they are made for preparation and education. You do not need to register and you do not need to pay anything. Be careful with pages that ask for money or for your email address before you can start, because a good practice test is free and does not need your data. The official eye test at the optician is the only test that costs money, and it is also the only one that counts for your driving licence.

Can I use an online eye test to check my colour vision?

An online colour vision test can give you a first idea, but it is not reliable, because the colours on a screen depend on the settings of your monitor, the lighting in the room, and the type of display. A proper colour vision test uses printed Ishihara plates in standard light, and the result is much more accurate. If an online test suggests that you have a colour vision deficiency, treat it as a reason to get a proper test at the optician, not as a final result. For a Class B driving licence, colour vision is not usually tested, so the result does not affect your licence. For a lorry or bus licence, you need a proper test as part of the medical report.